Residents said the fire may have started on the second floor and it is believed over a dozen families lived there

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An apartment complex on Ascension Street in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, caught fire late Wednesday night leaving dozens of people displaced.

The area was very quiet early Thursday morning but there was still a smell of smoke in the air. The fire forced a total of 50 people out of their homes. The complex was severely damaged.

The first call came in about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and firefighters were there for a few hours. Mutual aid was called to help from Cumberland, Central Falls and Pawtucket to the three-alarm fire.

Residents said the fire may have started on the second floor and it is believed over a dozen families lived there. No injuries were reported so everyone is believed to be OK, including firefighters.

One man told NBC 10 that moments after everyone was able to escape, the entire building burst into flames.

"Once the alarm sounded then I tried to run around and get people out. We thought it was a false alarm because it went off before. I actually grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to run in there. But I was told not to, because the apartment was engulfed," one resident said.

The cause of the fire is not known. The Red Cross is helping the families find shelter.